1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic telephone answering apparatus using the telephone number data of a caller sent from an exchange.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A system is known which sends a caller's telephone number to a subscriber's terminal together with a ring signal from an exchange. Therefore, the subscriber can know who is calling before his response.
Moreover, a telephone terminal is generally known which comprises a plurality of communication interface circuits for communicating with a plurality of telephone lines respectively. This telephone terminal can individually communicate with each line.
Further, an automatic telephone answering apparatus is known which is capable of transferring a message. This transferring function is as follows:
The automatic telephone answering apparatus records an incoming message (ICM) received from a caller in the absence of the called subscriber or user and then transfers the recorded message to a registered transfer destination by automatic dialing, reproducing, and sending the recorded message through the same telephone line. This function enables the called user to know who was called him and what the caller said, at a place where he is staying.
As mentioned above, the prior art automatic telephone answering apparatus with the message transferring function records an incoming message from the caller when there is a call in the absence of the called user; calls a telephone of which a telephone number is registered, that is, a destination telephone number, after recording of the caller's message; and then reproduces and sends the recorded incoming message to a telephone at the destination. This operation is performed for each of the calls.
However, there is a problem that the telephone lines of the automatic telephone answering apparatus and the telephone of destination will be busy if calls are relatively frequent because all messages are transferred to the transfer destination. Moreover, because all messages are sent to the destination where the user is staying, a message which includes no urgent matter will be also transferred. Thus, if the user is very busy because of business, such indiscriminate transferring would interfere with his business.